Floor-surfacing machine.



No. 867,620. PATENTED OCT. 8, 1907. W. L. TAFT (in A. N; VERDIN. FLOOR SURPAOING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 12. 1907.

4 sums-sham 1.

\Ni H1255 as- PATENTED OCT. 8, 1907. w. L. TAPT & A. N. VERDIN. FLOOR suamcms MACHINE.

APPLIGATION FILED JAN 12, 1907.

N 4 SHFETS-SHEET 2,

. i'nvaml'nrS. Mi?

' PATENTED 001*. s, 1907. w. L. TAPT & A. N. VERDIH. FLOOR SURPAGING MACHINE.

APPLIOATION FILED JAN 12, 1907.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

I e a/441m M;

Wif'nassaz.

PATBNTED OCT. 8, 1907. W. L. TAFT & A. N. VERDIN.

FLOOR SURPACING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 12, 1907.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

m Q L Eu I: minim i WALTER L. 'lAFT, OF CINCINNATI, AND ALOIS N. VERDIN, OF GLENDALE, OHIO, ASSIGNORS TO WALTER L. TAFT, OF CINCINNATI, OHIO.

FLOOR-SURFACIN G IACHINE.

' To al whom it may concern:

Belt known thntwe, WAL'rsR L. TAPI, of Cincinnati. Hamilton county. and Stu: e of Ohio, and Atols N. Via -mm, of Glendale. said county and State, both citizens oi the United States of America, have jointly invented certain new and useful Improvements in Floor- Surfacing Machines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention. relating to improvements in portable machines for use-in traveling over r traversing floorsurfsces and carrying ahmdihg drums or rollers that are adapt d to dress down, clean, smooth, polish and otherwise finish mid surfaces w heiher made of wood, mnrhle, stone-or composite substance. will be readily understood from the following description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings. in which ln.tter

Figure-l is a. longitudinal side elevation of the machine. showing some of the frame and other parts broken away to present to view some of the internal parts, the latter being partly shown in' section; Fig. 2, a plan view of Fig. l, but with the driingmmtor removed and with the operating-levers shown in crosssection. one side of the machine being shown in section taken on the line 2:, x, of Fig. 1, and a central section of the devices for throwing into and out of gear the propelling parts of the'mnchine; Fig. 3. a longitudinal sectional elevation taken on the dotted-line a, a, of Fig. 2. (in the direction of the arrows at both ends of said line.) rind bringing most clearly [0 view the. traction and steering devices and the several devices for controlling the .fci ion of the abreding drums or rollers at. opposite ends of the machine; Fig. 4. an end elevation, takenat the right-hand of Fig. 1; Fig. 5. :1 fragmentary side ele vatioii. on a somewhat linger scale. showing one corner of the iniu'zhinc (that at the right-hand seen in Fig. 1)

and includ ing a suitable form of lutch device for hold ing the verlicnlly-sliding hearings of the sand-drum up. when it is desired to elevate and support. the latter above the floorsnrfscc; Fig. 6. :1 fragmentary vertical section taken on the dotted-line y. y. of Fig. 4; and Fig. 7. njhroken cros -section of one end of one of the surfacing mmi-drains. including its pivotal support or hearing. find an elevation of the int-e of an auxiliary nnrron sand-wheel attachment extending and mounted outside the hearing of the said sand-drum for the purpose uf operating along the edges or border of the floor where the opposite ends of the said mirddrum cannot a such auxiliary sand-wheel being detachablysecured to the shaft of said sand-drum and applied thereto after the main surface of a firxirlms been finished and used for completing the work along said edges or border of the floor.

The sup mrting-frnmo of the machine iscomposed of "of longitudinal sides 1 and l" suitably connected 4 Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed January 12, 1907. Serial Ht. 361,959,

Patented Oct. 8, 1907.

together and having journaled 1nd supphrted therein the various parts of the mechanism that are used in smoothing and dressing the surface of the floor and in guiding the machine in its movements along said floor.

2 is a. platform or cover lshown in Fig. 4 only) spanning the space between the two side-frames l and 1". and on which the operator stands in performing the work of the machine.

3 and 4 indicate a pair of large truck or traction wheels mounted on 3 tr.:.. averse shaft 4 hearing at its ends in suitable boxes provided in the side-fmrnes 1 and l", a best seen in Fig. 2. The shaft. 4 is a continuous or through one across the machine, hearing at its ends in the sideframes l and l", and has loosely-mounted thereon a pair of bevel-gears 4 4*. the laterally-projecting hubs of the latter being journalcd in the outer open ends of a forked frame 4", and. in the hollow shank of which latter, is journuled a shaft 5 having at one end a bevel-pinion 6, the latter engaging the teeth of the bevel gears 4. 4*, to drive the machine on said truckwheels 3 and 4 to and fro in either direction, and said shaft 5 having a. worm-wheel (not shown) at its opposite end engaging a. worm 7 on a transverse shaft 8, the latter having at its outer end a large spur-gear 9 driven by a spur-gear or pinion 10 mounted on the outer end of a motor-shaft '11.

A friction-clutch 4 is splined to shaft 4 to interlock alternately with the flanges 4, 4, on the bevel-gears l 4, for the reverse motion of the letter on shaft 4 and. in turn, reversing the direction of rotation of the said truck-wheels. A crank arm or lever L projects from the lower end of a. vertical shaft mounted in the Cross-frame L and has forked arms at its outer end ongaging the clutch 4 to slide the latter along the shaft 4. A lever L projects from the upper end of the same shaft on which the forked arm L is mounted and has a. reduced outer end that engages the forked lower end of the reversing-lever M, the hitter being an upright one pivoted at m to a rack 11. and having a latch device 0 that engages snid mck for locking the lever M in the desired position, the position of the lever M in Fig. 1 being that when the machine is at rest.

12, 12,- reprosent supporting guide or steer wheels journzdcd in brackets 13 projecting inwardly from the side-frames 1 and 1, and 14, 14 are toothed segments at the upper ends ofpivotal shanks or herds of the guide-wheels 12, such segments englging toothed segmental portions of a mutilated gear-wheel 15 journaled in the forwardly-projecting weh portion '16 of a crossfmme 17 whose opposite ends are supported on the brackets l3, 13 of he side-frames, as best seen in Fig. 2. The are of mothed-contact or mesh of the respective segments 14, 1-1 and that of each of the toothed segmental portions of the wheel 15 correspond in length.

18 is a vertical sh-aiLproridt-t'l with a hand wheel or lever l9 and supported at its lower end in the whee. 1 3 lol' manipulating or swinging the latter to and fro on its hearing Hi tor tiperative-engtgement with the pivotal p rtions of the gnideorheels l2 and op rating the latter in unison [or steering the machine in the desired direction. I 7

20 is a drum surrounding the motor that drives the machine, electric wires or conductors heing connected with a suitable hindinwpost 2t, as seen in Fig. i.

22 and 23 indicate two respective s-.\n\l-drnms, one heing journaled at. either end of the machine in universal, spherical hearings 2-!" (Fig. ti at the l wer ends ot vertiadly-slidiog harsor elongated h ocl "4, the latter engaging guide-ways 2:) provided in the torwardly and rearwurdlyptojet'tingarms 'l"ot' th side-ironies land l.

26 represents each one of two sprt ckt-t-waeels keyed to the outer ends of the shafts 27 ot' the saud-drunts-ZZZ and 23. and :23 represents each one of two chains engagingsaid Spl'tll'l-(Cl-\ lltt'i t 26 and, also. respectively engaging each one of the sprocket-wheels :39 mounted on studs 30. the latter projecting laterally iromjhe sidefiarne 1 and each stud carrying a spurge-at 30 free to turn thereon and meshing so as to drive the sprockets 2'.) that are rigidlyconnected therewith and which, in turn, impart motion through th" medium of chains 28 to the sand-drums 22 and 21 and tints causing the latter to oppositely rotate, hut. toward the machine at the limit-contact, (as shown by adjacent arrows). Qne of the spur'gears 30" engages :1 spur-gear CH of like diarncter rigitily mounted on the shaft 8 adjacent the large spur-gear t), and is duly driven by the latter.

Th devices for controlling the raising and lowering of the sand-drums and applying pressure thereto for the ahrading operation, are composed of parts and are adapted to he operated as we shall now deserihe.

32, 32 represent tmnsrerse rock-shafts journaled in hearings in the forwardly and rearwardly projecting arms 1" of the side-frames, and each of the two rockshal'ts is provided with a. hell-crank lever adjacent the inner faces of saidartns l ot'the sidenone 1. The two hell-crank levers are each emuposed of a pendent arm 33 and a horizontal arm 34, the latter heing notched or forked at its outer end, as best seen in Fig. 3.

34 represents a horizontal arm mounted on each r ck-shaft. 32, 32, adjacent the [mine-arms 1" ol the sidet'ramc 1. These arms 34" are notched at their outer ends like unto the arms IN. A set-screw is provided to secure each hell-crank lever and each arm 31" on rock-shaft in the desir d position, and a set-screw s is provided in the upper part of the torked end ol each arm 2H and 34". .'\n arm 35 is htoselyauounml on said rink-shafts, between each hell-crank. and, also, hetween each arm 31-. and the adjacent name-arm l", (Figs-2 and It), and a pin t projects laterally from each loose-arm l5 into a verti al sl t. 37 made in each arm l",-a vertical spiral springLlh being provided unth t each pin 36 in a socket. 39 made in the respective vert i:-.tll}-' sliding hearing-bars 2-"1. llach ot' the pins :15 ctosws beyond the thickness of the t'mme-arm i into an elongated opening 40 made in the hearing-l ar .H, the lower end of said opening 4t! being on the same plane as that of the lower nd of slot 37. (Fig. (i). I A (lat-faced lug 41 projects inwardly from each il)l)fiti1fllt 35 toward and into the notch at the outer end of each arm 3-t and 2H", and each screw s is brought into engaging-contact, therewith to adjust the sand-drum ctuttr Ming-mechanism to a nicety tor the proper ahradirig-action of said drums. 42 represents a longitudinal rod pivota-ly connected at its opposite ends to the lower ends of the pendent arms 33 of said hcll-cntnl-ts at one side oi the machine only. to wit-those adjacent the side-frame l (Figs 2, 3 and 4), and 43 is a Tshape rocker arm or lever pivotally mounted n the stud 4.4 projecting inwardly from the sidwinune l. The vertical portion -13 of the rocker-arm 43 is pivotally-conneeted at its lower slotted end 421" to the connecting-rod -12 (Fig. It, and two upright pedal-levers 45 and to are pivotally-conneeted at their respective lower ends to the respective opposite ends oi the horizontal portion of therm-ker-a'rm -13 and pass upwardly through openings in lmssesf, f, made on the inwardly-flanged upper edge of the side fmme l.

Foot. disks or plates are provided in the itpper ends of each levcr 15 and -'i6 for depressing same and in turn rocking the lever 43 on its hearing 44 for actuating the connecting-rod 42 and the sand-drum hearing-liars for raising and lowering the sand-drums. The foot-lever or pedal 4t; has a. notch 46 made in it hent'ratl: its top plate or disk, the horizontal portion oi the notch forming a shoulder to he brought into engaging-contact with the lower edge of the metal on the interior of the hossf when it is desired to support the sand-drums above the floor-surface for any purpose, such, for instance, as when the machine is at rest or running idly over the surface 4 for changing position. An auxiliary device, such as the swinging latch-lever 47 mounted on the arm 1 and adapted to engage a lateral pin 48 on the hearing-bar 24, (Figs. 5 and ti) may he provided to support the sanddrums above the floor-surface for like purposes. The pedal-lever 4-5 is the one used for depressing the s-.u1d-, drums and holding them in ahmding-contact with the floor-surface to he dressed, Fig. 1 showing said lever 45 down its lull-stroke and the drums in operating-contact with the than-surface. The pressure of the foot on the pedal 4.: partially compresses the springs 38 in the bearing-hats 2-1, the said springs allowing for any sudden shoeks occasioned by ohstructions or raised ridges on the floor-surface, and forming an elastic bumper or cushion. they yielding when the ohstruction or ridge the bossf' for tem nrarilylocking the parks, free to he r adily r leased for operation.

in the operation of the device, as tints tar disclosed. the rock shafts are actuated in unison by th t'l'llHt't'ling-rod 42 and the hell-cranks, the latter and h arms fl-tacting in conjunction with their adjaient huts-olevers 35 and thereby depressing the elastically-cushioned hearingdms 2-! that earry the sand-drums. it will he clearly observed in Fig. that there is -1 space provided between the hvwer l'acesot' the respective ltlgx' 41 and the adjacent. time of the notch in the outer end of the crank-arm 34, the purpose oi which will be new described in connection with auxiliary devieus for u e in applying extra. pressure to the sand-drums .Lthcir opposite ends. independently of the remaining portion thereof, thcnnivcrsnl hearings 2-1" permitting such independent action. 7

49, 49, represent it pair of vertical loot-levers at the real cud of the machine, and 50. (l a pair of vertical hand-levers at the fore end of the machine, the former 9) being shortlevers and having foot-plates and both ;:i ioially-councctcd at their respective lower ends to Hie rcspcciivc outer ends of the rear loose-levers 35 gF'ig. 3) and passing upward through openings'made in thc lugs -19 mndc on the inward]y-lhtngcd' upper edge oi the arms 1', and the said lovers 5-0, 50 being long oncs made of bars socketvd at their lower ends in vertical intcgml portions 50" of the fore loose-levers ln opcn tion, the operator at the rear of the machine can. conveniently and best use his'fcct on the rear auxiliary-pedals 49, 4 antihis hands on the fore lovers 50,

50. as is obvious, and when there is any particular spot on illd floor-surface that he intends'or wishes to dress 'ivvn or finish, he simply depresses the levers 49 and 50 independently of each' other and while the presscrlever is in a. depressing-strife (Fig. 3). The space between each lug 41 :md.thev forked portion of each arm 3-1, shove mentioned, permits the depressing action of the several auxiliary le vcrs 49 and 56 the distancev of such space, which is sulliciont for the purpose named in connection with the particular spo ;v or places on the floorsurfucc to be dressed without otherwise affecting the other parts of the floor-surface. The reaction of the several springs 38, after the several auxiliary levers 49 and 50 are used, returns the latter to their normnl positions, at: rest, as best seen in Fig. 3.

In Fig. 7 we have shown an auxiliary narrow sand,-

wheel 51 in use in reaching the border or edges of a floorsuriact adjacent the wall or base-board where the main sand-ii ims 22 and 23 cannot) reach, the journaling and supporting'parts of the frame otherwise pro-l venting. This nairow wheel 51 ghas an ahmding-surdiameter than the sand-drums, the latter being raised from the floor-surface when the former are being used, as it is not intended that'both should ordinarily opemlc together in dressing :1. floor-surface; The narrow sand-wheel 51 is rcodily nttached as occzision requires and detached when it is desired to use the sand-drums. 52, 52, represent pairsoi bumpers at the opposite ends of the machine for preventing in ury to the ma-.

chine or surrounding objects, or to the wnl f of the'i'oom in the opcmtion of the device.

. We claim:-- v

1. A floglr-surtacer comprising a propulsion-supported frame, an abradlng-drum Journaled in bearing: sliding vertically in the frame, n-T-shnpe foot-treudle pivoted lntrmcdlute-lio (Ends; to the frame and buying an upright 'pivotal presscr-lever at' one end andjn u prlgit pivotal releasing-lever at Its other a horizontal roC givotally connccredto the pendent. portion of the footn-eadle, a

transverse rock-shaft journnlcd at its opposite ends in the fruinegiu Miter-uni; lover mounted on the rockshaft rind pivuiuliy connected at one end to the rod und at its otllcr end pivorally cl one or the vertically-sliding hearings of the intruding-drum and un arm on said rocksliait pivotnlivengngintr th other sliding hearing oi the aliradiug-drum.

L. floor snrfucer comprising a frame, an :ibrndlngdrum junrnulcd in verticallyslldlng hour-lugs at opposite ends or the frame. a transverse rock-shaft ut the opposite ends of the frame adjacent the vcrtlcnlly'slidlng drumbcuriuzs, hell-crank levers rigidly attached to said rockshai'ts adjacent said vertically-sliding druurimurlngs at one side of the muchine, indopcndcnt horizontal arms or lcvcrs rigidly attached to said shafts adjacent the drumbearings at the other side of the machine, at long'll'udlnal rod or coup lngbar pivotally connectcd at its opposite ends to the pendent arms of said bell-crank lovers, menus at the outer ends of the other arms oi said bell-ennui: levers and, also, on the said horizontal aims for plvoinlly connectlng them with the vertically sliding drunrhcarings, a T-shupe fnot'ti'cndlc plvotuliy-mounied on the frame and plvotullyconnectc l ilt its lower slotted and to said rod. a pivotal vertical presscr-lct'cr at one end of the horizontal portion of the foot trcndlc, a pivotal, vertical druniaulsing or friction rclcaslng ver at the opposite end of the foottreadle. means for supporting and propelling the machine,

and means for steering or guiding the machine over the surface to be drcsscd 'nnd finished.

3. A floor-surfacing machine comprising :1 propulsionsupported frame. steering means. nlu'ndlngorums mounted on vertically-sliding bearings at the opposite ends of said Home. a longitudinal rod. transverse rock-shafts :it the opposite ends of the frame, hellcrank lovers rigidlymountcd on said rock-shafts adjacent the said verticallysllding bellilllK-R at one side of the machine, ouch hell-chunk having pivotal-connection atone end with un end of the said rod, horizontal arms or levers rlgldly mounted on the rock-shafts adjacent the bearings at the other side of the machine, hbrlzontnl'arms loosely-mounted on the r0ckshafts adjacent and parallel to the other arms of the bellcrank levers and to said horizontal levers, means for uniting said bell-cranks and horh'vontal levers through fsuld loosely-mounted arms will: the vertically-sliding drum-bearings so that allthe latter shall not in unison,

elsstic means intermediate the bcli-crunks'und horizontal inns and the drum-bearings, means mounted on the fra m and connected with the rod for nctuuiltu; the latter in the operation oi raising a d depressing said ulu-adingdrums, and menus for actuating the nbmdlngdrums.

4. f; floor-surfacing machine comprising :1 propulsionsupported frame, nbrading-drums mounted in verticallysliding universal-bearings at opposite ends of the frame elastic mennsln said bearings, transverse rock shafts :i't opposite ends or the frume adjacent. the drums, bell-crank levers rigid on sold rock shafts adjacent the verticallyslidlng-drum-beurlngs at one side of the machine, a. longitudinal rod connecting the pendent or QOWIIWBNllF'p-IOJ BCU ing arms of said bell-cranks. horlzontallevers rigid on the shaft :idjuccnt the drum-bearings at tne other side of the machine. means on the frame for moving said rod so that the hell-cranks, horizontal levers and said shafts opernte in unlson looselymonnted ievcrs on said shafts adjacent said bell-cranks and horizontal lever; and having. lateral lugs nt one side engaging forks in bo r the horizontal arms .of thatch-cranks and in said horizontal] levers, and lateral 

